12 
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OP 
As there exist no extensive or remarkable researches 
on the feeding stuffs of countries resembling Japan in their 
climatical conditions, and as a reliable basis for the valua¬ 
tion of foods has hitherto only been established in Germany, 
we are for the purpose of comparison compelled to resort to 
the figures formulated in the latter country. The various 
kinds of meadow hay grown there will be best suited as a 
standard, because meadows, like paddy fields, are situated in 
low places along the banks of rivers and composed of mixed 
grasses and herbage, from which hay is gained by several 
cuttings every year. According to the tables given by 
E. von Wolff we may distinguish 5 qualities of meadow hay, 
viz. excellent, which represents the young grasses of a rich 
pasture, very good, medium good, rather poor and inferior, 
which latter 4 kinds only are usually cured from meadows. 
The percentage composition of these 5 sorts of hay in the 
waterfree state is shown by the following figures : 
Excellent. 
Very 
good. 
Medium 
good. 
Rather 
poor. 
Inferior. 
Crude protein . 
. 16.1 
13.8 
11.3 
10.7 
8.3 
Pat. 
. 3.6 
3.3 
2.9 
2.3 
1.8 
Fibre . 
. 22.9 
25.8 
30.7 
34.1 
39.1 
Nitrogenfree extract 48.2 
48.9 
47.9 
46.6 
44.4 
Ash. 
. 9.2 
8.2 
7.2 
6.3 
5.9 
As the nutritive value of coarse fodders depends upon 
their containing a high percentage of albuminoids and a 
low proportion of fibre, we find upon comparing the com¬ 
position of the three specimens examined in our laboratory 
with the figures of Wolff, that the’common Japanese hay 
would be regarded in central Europe as “ rather poor.” Of 
our three kinds of hay Nos. I and III are nearly of the 
same composition while No. II is a little better, and 
approaches the medium good meadow grass. 
Almost the same valuation is arrived at, if the propor¬ 
tion of digestible nutrients is taken into acconnt. There is 
contained in 100 parts of dry matter: 
